[Tex/LaTex] Multirow and top alignment in tabular

Question

I want to vertically align text to the top of every cell, in a tabular environment where some cells must span multiple rows.

Try not to use other packages if possible. (I've no control over installation of additional packages.)

\documentclass[12pt, margin = 1mm]{standalone}
\newcommand\TS{\rule{0pt}{2.6ex}}         % Top strut
\newcommand\BS{\rule[-0.9ex]{0pt}{0pt}}   % Bottom strut
\usepackage{array, multirow}
\newcolumntype{L}[1]{>{\raggedright\let\newline\\\TS\BS\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering  \let\newline\\\TS\BS\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{R}[1]{>{\raggedleft \let\newline\\\TS\BS\arraybackslash}p{#1}}

\begin{document}
\begin{tabular} [t] { C{2cm} C{3cm} | C{2cm} C{3cm} }
    Column 1 & Column 2 & Column 3 & Column 4 \\ \hline
    Foo & Line 1 \newline Line 2 &
    \multirow{2}{*}{Alpha} & Line 1 \newline Line 2 \newline Line 3 \\
    Bar & Line 1 \newline Line 2 \\
    Spam & Line 1 \newline Line 2 &
    \multirow{2}{*}{Beta} & Line 1 \newline Line 2 \newline Line 3 \\
    Eggs & Line 1 \newline Line 2 \\
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

There are two problems:

1. Using p{#1} instead of m{#1} helps to align Foo, Bar, Spam, Eggs to the top, but not Alpha, Beta. The [t] argument didn't work.

2. Alpha and its 3 lines do not span the rows of Foo, Bar. Likewise for Beta.

How can we solve both problems?

Answer 1

like this?

without multirow, with simplified types of columns definitions and with use of makecell:

\documentclass[12pt, margin=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{array,  makecell}
\setcellgapes{3pt}
\newcolumntype{L}[1]{>{\raggedright\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{R}[1]{>{\raggedleft\arraybackslash}p{#1}}

\begin{document}
{\makegapedcells
    \begin{tabular} { C{2cm} C{3cm} | C{2cm} C{3cm} }
Column 1    & Column 2 & Column 3 & Column 4 \\
    \hline
Foo         & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2} & Alpha & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2} \\
Bar         & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2} &       &   \\
Spam        & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2} & Beta  & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2}  \\
Eggs        & \makecell[t]{Line 1\\ Line 2} &       & \\
    \end{tabular}
}
\end{document}

edit (1): or you looking for for simple table:

{\makegapedcells
    \begin{tabular} { C{2cm} C{3cm} | C{2cm} C{3cm} }
Column 1    & Column 2 & Column 3 & Column 4 \\
    \hline
Foo         & Line 1    & Alpha & Line 1    \\ 
            & Line 2    &       & Line 2    \\ 
Bar         & Line 1    &       &           \\
            & Line 2    &       &           \\
Spam        & Line 1    & Beta  & Line 1    \\
            & Line 2    &       & Line 2    \\ 
Eggs        & Line 1    &       &           \\
            & Line 2    &       &           \\
    \end{tabular}
}

which has slightly different vertical spacing:

edit(2): solution with multirow (as op so much desire, however which/how many rows should span is unfortunately no clear to me)

\documentclass[12pt, margin=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{array,  makecell, multirow}
\setcellgapes{3pt}
\newcolumntype{L}[1]{>{\raggedright\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\newcolumntype{R}[1]{>{\raggedleft\arraybackslash}p{#1}}

\begin{document}
{\makegapedcells
 \renewcommand\multirowsetup{\centering}% <-- for centering contents of multirow center
    \begin{tabular} { C{2cm} C{3cm} | C{2cm} C{3cm} }
Column 1    & Column 2 & Column 3 & Column 4 \\
    \hline
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Foo} & Line 1    & \multirow[t]{4}{=}{Alpha} & Line 1    \\ 
                        & Line 2    &                           & Line 2    \\ 
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Bar} & Line 1    &                           &           \\
                        & Line 2    &                           &           \\
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Spam}& Line 1    & \multirow[t]{4}{=}{Beta}  & Line 1    \\
                        & Line 2    &                           & Line 2    \\ 
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Eggs}& Line 1    &                           &           \\
                        & Line 2    &                           &           \\
    \end{tabular}
}
\end{document}

the result is is look the same as before (in edit (1)) if only one word is in multirows cell. in case that there are more, for example as:

    \begin{tabular} { C{2cm} C{3cm} | C{2cm} C{3cm} }
Column 1    & Column 2 & Column 3 & Column 4 \\
    \hline
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Foo} & Line 1    & \multirow[t]{4}{=}{Alpha} & Line 1    \\ 
                        & Line 2    &                           & Line 2    \\ 
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Bar} & Line 1    &                           &           \\
                        & Line 2    &                           &           \\
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Spam}& Line 1    & \multirow[t]{4}{=}{Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta
                                                         Beta Beta Beta Beta Beta}  
                                                                & Line 1    \\
                        & Line 2    &                           & Line 2    \\ 
\multirow[t]{2}{=}{Eggs}& Line 1    &                           &           \\
                        & Line 2    &                           &           \\
    \end{tabular}

the result is: